Our Health Policy Matters

The latest Obamacare navigator “compromise” may calm one small battle in Florida.  But it won’t end the war on Obamacare being waged by hypocritical public officials around the country. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Congressional effort to undermine the Obamacare navigation program in its entirety.  A House Committee has ordered nonprofits winning navigation grants to produce reams of material, and promises to punish those that have failed to comply.  Source: US Census Bureau Navigators will assist people in applying for public or private insurance to pay for their health care.   Navigators are not a new concept, created by Obamacare.  They are as old as Marco Rubio, and Obamacare is not the first federal initiative ever to fund them.  In fact, I implemented the policy of the Nixon Administration as a VISTA paralegal 35 years ago, navigating underinsured elders to the Medicaid program. So we know that navigators can be ...

The latest Obamacare navigator “compromise” may calm one small battle in Florida.  But it won’t end the war on Obamacare being waged by hypocritical public officials around the country. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Congressional effort to undermine the Obamacare navigation program in its entirety.  A House Committee has ordered nonprofits winning navigation grants to produce reams of material, and promises to punish those that have failed to comply.  Source: US Census Bureau Navigators will assist people in applying for public or private insurance to pay for their health care.   Navigators are not a new concept, created by Obamacare.  They are as old as Marco Rubio, and Obamacare is not the first federal initiative ever to fund them.  In fact, I implemented the policy of the Nixon Administration as a VISTA paralegal 35 years ago, navigating underinsured elders to the Medicaid program. So we know that navigators can be ...

After a year in second place, Massachusetts is once again the best state for your health in the 2013 Our Health Policy Matters rankings . In first place in 2011, Massachusetts dropped to second last year behind Connecticut.  It edged out Connecticut this year based on the rankings of all fifty states in a combination of seven national source rankings and/or spending categories. Here are the top ten states, with the change from last year’s ranking in parentheses. 1. Massachusetts (+1).   Among the seven components of the rankings, Massachusetts was only 4 th in the Healthy State rankings, and 11 th in the Kids Count health rankings.   But it earns its top rank overall because of consistently high placements in five other health care rankings. 2. Connecticut (-1).   Last year’s winner, Connecticut ranks 2 nd overall in the Kids Count health rankings and in the percentage of residents with employer-based private insurance.   But it is only in ...

After a year in second place, Massachusetts is once again the best state for your health in the 2013 Our Health Policy Matters rankings . In first place in 2011, Massachusetts dropped to second last year behind Connecticut.  It edged out Connecticut this year based on the rankings of all fifty states in a combination of seven national source rankings and/or spending categories. Here are the top ten states, with the change from last year’s ranking in parentheses. 1. Massachusetts (+1).   Among the seven components of the rankings, Massachusetts was only 4 th in the Healthy State rankings, and 11 th in the Kids Count health rankings.   But it earns its top rank overall because of consistently high placements in five other health care rankings. 2. Connecticut (-1).   Last year’s winner, Connecticut ranks 2 nd overall in the Kids Count health rankings and in the percentage of residents with employer-based private insurance.   But it is only in ...

Connecticut spends four times more per capita on state mental health services than Texas.  In Florida, 25 percent fewer people report having mental illnesses than in Washington. Across the nation, there are significant differences in the amounts states spend on mental health services.  Connecticut spends $189 per capita, while Texas spends only $39. But there are also significant differences in the reported prevalence of mental illnesses.  For example, fewer than 18 percent of Floridians report having a mental illness during the past year, but in Washington almost 24 percent do. But what happens when you put spending and prevalence together?  Some new rankings emerge that give you a measure of each state’s real commitment to protecting mental health – and treating mental illness – in their population.  This week, I have ranked all fifty states using both spending and prevalence data.       I have taken per capita m...

Connecticut spends four times more per capita on state mental health services than Texas.  In Florida, 25 percent fewer people report having mental illnesses than in Washington. Across the nation, there are significant differences in the amounts states spend on mental health services.  Connecticut spends $189 per capita, while Texas spends only $39. But there are also significant differences in the reported prevalence of mental illnesses.  For example, fewer than 18 percent of Floridians report having a mental illness during the past year, but in Washington almost 24 percent do. But what happens when you put spending and prevalence together?  Some new rankings emerge that give you a measure of each state’s real commitment to protecting mental health – and treating mental illness – in their population.  This week, I have ranked all fifty states using both spending and prevalence data.       I have taken per capita m...

All over the country, governors are finally beginning to propose new mental health services funding in the aftermath of last year’s mass shootings in Aurora and Sandy Hook. Notes: OH funding is from existing OHT appropriation. CT funding is bond money, some of which may be used by non-MHSA providers. There will be a long road back to policy sanity.  We have to dig ourselves out of the mess caused by $4.6 billion in state mental health cuts over the last few years.  But these governors give us hope that the funding-cut nightmare over which many of them have presided may be finally coming to an end.  In recent weeks, both Republicans and Democrats have announced new community behavioral health funding initiatives, typically ranging between $5 million and $20 million.   But support for community mental health services is not universal.  In states with the worst track records in funding mental health services, their governors continue to be sa...

All over the country, governors are finally beginning to propose new mental health services funding in the aftermath of last year’s mass shootings in Aurora and Sandy Hook. Notes: OH funding is from existing OHT appropriation. CT funding is bond money, some of which may be used by non-MHSA providers. There will be a long road back to policy sanity.  We have to dig ourselves out of the mess caused by $4.6 billion in state mental health cuts over the last few years.  But these governors give us hope that the funding-cut nightmare over which many of them have presided may be finally coming to an end.  In recent weeks, both Republicans and Democrats have announced new community behavioral health funding initiatives, typically ranging between $5 million and $20 million.   But support for community mental health services is not universal.  In states with the worst track records in funding mental health services, their governors continue to be sa...

Here is a question I’d love to see candidates answer before the election. Source: NY Times Does the continuing activity around the implementation of the Affordable Care Act signal the collapse of American capitalism – at least as it pertains to health and health care? The myth of American capitalism is so powerful that I imagine they won’t touch this one with a ten foot pole – or even a ten-foot long poll!  In the politics of our $2.6 trillion healthcare economy, however, capitalism takes a back seat. The recent activities of the Connecticut health exchange board explain why capitalism in health care is about as relevant as a Democratic voter in Utah.  Connecticut is one of the dozen or so states embracing ACA, and is making an impressive effort to implement its health insurance exchange on time in 2014.  By contrast, more than half the states have yet to even declare their intentions, even though the deadline for doing so is mid-November. Accord...

Here is a question I’d love to see candidates answer before the election. Source: NY Times Does the continuing activity around the implementation of the Affordable Care Act signal the collapse of American capitalism – at least as it pertains to health and health care? The myth of American capitalism is so powerful that I imagine they won’t touch this one with a ten foot pole – or even a ten-foot long poll!  In the politics of our $2.6 trillion healthcare economy, however, capitalism takes a back seat. The recent activities of the Connecticut health exchange board explain why capitalism in health care is about as relevant as a Democratic voter in Utah.  Connecticut is one of the dozen or so states embracing ACA, and is making an impressive effort to implement its health insurance exchange on time in 2014.  By contrast, more than half the states have yet to even declare their intentions, even though the deadline for doing so is mid-November. Accord...